Best Bra For Short Waisted
If you’re a self-proclaimed member of the IBTC (Fu mentions that AA, A, and B cups typically fall into the category of small busts), relief is on the way. Ahead, we’ve pulled together the 20 best bras for smaller boobs—strapless, seamless, push-up—if you can name it, you can shop it, below.
BEST OVERALL
Pepper Classic All You Bra
PROS
- Smooth look under clothes
- Relaxed fit
- Comfy underwire
CONS
- Some reviewers hoped for sturdier straps
Pepper is a brand designed to cater to and exclusively fit small-chested women, touting body empowerment as a byproduct of the perfect fit. Aside from thousands of raving reviews (among fans is senior commerce fashion editor Dale Arden Chong, who wears a 32A), this buttery-soft plunge bra has the suitability to become the equivalent of what a plain white tee is to your wardrobe—a comfortable staple that you can pair with almost anything. This style is also the sister style of Pepper’s Mesh All You Bra, which Fu dubs the brand’s “first baby.”
Band Sizes: 30-40
Cup Sizes: AA-B
Colors: 6 options
Material: Polyamide, elastane
Customer review: “Love it! It fits me really well, good quality, nice fabrics, and is comfy to wear. The game changer for me is that if I lean forwards, it doesn’t gape! Yay!”
BEST T-SHIRT BRA
Lulalu Chloe Bra
PROS
- AAA cup sizes
- Tagless
- Microfiber cups
CONS
- Limited color selection
- Not available above a B cup
Lulalu is another top contender when it comes to designs for small boobs and the only brand offering AAA cup sizes. This perfected version of a T-shirt bra promises no awkward gaping and anti-slip straps.
Band Sizes: 30-42
Cup Sizes: AAA-A
Colors: Beige, Black
Material: Nylon, elastane
Customer review: “I absolutely love this bra! I normally wear a size 34B, but Lulalu suggested I try a 36AA. It turns out the fit is incredible around my waist, and the cup size is perfect. It took a few days to break in the bra…I took a nap in it the other day and when I woke up I couldn’t believe I was able to sleep wearing a frickin bra!!!!”
BEST LACEY BRA
Little Bra Company Lucia Signature Lace Bra
$65 at thelittlebracompany.com
PROS
- Good for close-set breasts
- Convertible straps
CONS
- Band may run tight
We all need a little lace number. While it’s especially fitting for closely set breasts, this plunge push-up style helps to create natural-looking cleavage and universally flatter all smaller figures. And unlike all your other lace bras, this one will lay flat and inconspicuous underneath your clothes.
Band Sizes: 28-36
Cup Sizes: A-C
Colors: Red, Nude, Black
Material: Polyamide, elastane, cotton
Customer review: “This bra can give a AA girl cleavage…it’s amazing! I have never found a bra that fits this well and actually found a way to give me cleavage without a ridiculous amount of padding.”
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BEST FEMME & FRILL
For Love & Lemons Butterfly Lace Ruffle Triangle Bra
PROS
- Pretty, feminine style
- Wireless
- Front tie
CONS
- Will show under clothes
- Little to no support/lining
You never need an excuse to dress up your bras and lingerie. Indulge yourself with the dreamy details of this romantic, baby blue triangle bra, and make it a matching set with the Butterfly Lace Ruffle Panty.
Sizes: XS-XL
Colors: Blue
Material: Polyester, elastane, polyamide
Customer review: “This pale blue in the frilly design is sooo pretty. It’s definitely worth the money!”
BEST STATEMENT BRA
Bevza Emerald Seashell Bustier
PROS
- Detachable straps
- Padded and lined
- Unique design
CONS
- Expensive
- More fashion than function
Hot on the trails of The Little Mermaid and the resurgence of mermaidcore, this seashell bustier from Ukranian-based brand Bevza evokes an imagining of oceanic bliss that you can show off under an unbuttoned boyfriend shirt.
Sizes: XS-L
Colors: Emerald
Material: Viscose
Customer review: “I feel like Ariel in this…this bra makes me actually grateful for small boobs because I can get away with fun styles like this. Not to mention it’s SO well made and the padding gives me a little lift.”
BEST PLUNGE BRA
CUUP The Plunge Mesh Bra
PROS
- Lightweight underwire
- Made with soft and breathable power mesh
- Great for rounder breast shapes
CONS
- May run small
Nobody ever said that functional bras have to be frumpy, which is proven in this sheer mesh CUUP style that flaunts “the freedom of a bralette, with the stability of an underwire bra.”
Band Sizes: 30-44
Cup Sizes: A-H
Colors: 11 options
Material: Nylon, Spandex
Customer review: “I will never wear another bra again! Very comfortable. With each wear it conforms more and more to my body, enhancing my natural shape and still keeping things perky. Not to mention, it’s a very flattering and subtly sexy bra.”
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BEST PUSH-UP BRA
ThirdLove Classic Uplift Plunge Bra
PROS
- Available in half sizes
- Top-rated
- Smoothing for sides and back
- Removable pads
CONS
- Some reviewers complained about the underwire poking
I love ThirdLove. The brand’s Classic T-Shirt Bra has become one of my tried-and-truest staples—the bra I wear when I don’t want to wear a bra at all, but I can’t (appropriately) go au naturale. This soft, rounded push-up style allows you to customize and balance asymmetrical cleavage while adding additional boost to your bust.
Band Sizes: 32-44
Cup Sizes: AA-H
Colors: 12 options
Material: Nylon, Spandex
Customer review: “This bra is so comfortable and flattering! I am small chested and I like this bra because it doesn’t gape, and it’s the perfect amount of padding.”
Short Waists / High Set Breasts
Do you think you have a short waist or high set breasts?
Short Waist
I love this post from Imogen Lamport’s Inside Out Style Blog about how to determine if your waist is short, balanced or long.
Good hints you are short waisted? Bra wires and bands jam into your armpits and gores may feel too tall. Your bra band may also roll up when you sit down or bend, or simply from wear. Shorter longline bras (like the popular Freya Patsy or Totally Tartan series) may fit more like corsets.
High Set Breasts
I’m still working on finding a measuring system to determine if you have high-set breasts; however, most of the bra fitters I’ve asked look for symptoms like wires/cups jamming into your armpits, or not being able to fill the bottoms of your cups. High set breasts are notorious for leaping out of v or scoop neck clothing. Some women can tell just by looking at their breast placement they are high, for others, it takes a bit more trial and error.
A Combination of the Two
Well, this can be problematic (which is how this blog came about). Erica from A Sophisticated Pair told me that many times short waists and high placement go together…and short waists are found frequently in hourglass type figures. When the two are combined, bra fitting can get frustrating.
What types of bras work?
Technically, any type of bra can work: plunge, balcony, balconette, full coverage, half cup, etc. Your best fit is probably more determined by co-factors: if you are close-set, full on top, wide, etc.
If you are a C cup or smaller, you may have luck shopping in the petite bra size selections. They are generally “not alot of bra”.
I have better luck fitting well into a bra that is less bra – lower side seams (which means a lower wire), and lower gores. I call these bras “not alot of bra”. These bras get more difficult to find as you size up in band length and cup size. A list of bras I have tried and think are more suited for short waists or high set breasts are listed on my blog under Bras for Short Waists / High Set Breasts.
